A poor Christmas lights display in Oxford may have failed to ignite excitement in the city but negative comments about it have certainly sparked outrage, writes JO HILLIER.

The festive illuminations were always going to be a big turn-off for Lord Mayor Carole Roberts unless a few thousand pounds were spent on making them bigger and better.

She said in January: "I want some real lights to switch on, not some bits of tinsel. They really were a bit weedy this year." Mrs Roberts was talking then about last year's display which cost £40,000 and were the best yet.

Just £25,000 was spent this year and the lights were concentrated on the three main streets - Cornmarket, George Street and Queen Street - so that the festive effect would be increased in those areas.

Within hours of switching them on in front of a big crowd in Bonn Square, Mrs Roberts was declaring them a turn-off, blaming traders for not coughing up enough cash and angering the business community. She said: "If we had more money from all the shops and more donations like other cities, we could have more lights."

But Bill McCardle, the director of the Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry which started the display about eight years ago, said: "This response runs the risk of alienating a lot of the businesses in the city.

"It doesn't reflect that, on the other side of the coin, the businesses are generating thousands of pounds elsewhere.

"We seem to have a throwback to Old Labour - council good, businesses bad. There's no criticism to be made of either party.

"I'm outraged at this particular councillor who is using this as an opportunity to beat the business community when all it's going to do is threaten the wellbeing of the city. It is appalling and shows a total ignorance of how well the business community is working with the city council."

Many businesses, including Allders, Marks & Spencer, Bally, Next, Debenhams, the Covered Market, Gap and the two bus companies, gave substantial sums of money towards the lights as well as £10,000 on a new leaflet produced at the same time to attract people to Oxford. Mr McCardle said: "The point that Carole makes is deeply concerning to me as she misses the whole point. Businesses have been spending a lot of money investing in premises, staff and this new leaflet.

"Lights are nice and it's important to have them, but businesses are interested in the longer term."

The chamber is working with the city council and city centre manager Marcus Lapthorn to improve the Christmas lights in future.

Mr Lapthorn said the job is not as easy as it may seem.

It would take a year of planning, tens of thousands more in cash and another full-time worker to help him.

Money is obviously the major factor which prevents Oxford from having a sparkling Christmas lights display and a huge amount is needed - but it has to come from the city council and businesses.

Mr Lapthorn said: "It's not just the private sector. The council needs to put more effort into staffing this office properly.

"The Lord Mayor doesn't fully understand what happens with the lights." Both sectors have limited budgets and Christmas lights are not always seen to be that important compared to other more pressing issues.

Oxford does not have a very good electrical supply and it would cost thousands of pounds to dig up the roads and install new cables that would be able to take more lights.

Mr Lapthorn said: "That would be major investment and it could be done if money can be found by the council. But would it be found? - I suspect not.

"If I had greater support in my office it would enable me to devote more time to the project."

Every year lights are damaged when they are exposed to the elements which also diminishes the display. Some £1.4m would be needed to replace them all.

Mr Lapthorn said: "There's no way the private sector is going to cough that up. I doubt very much that the council is prepared to put that money in.

"There's got to be investment somehow but I don't want a situation where everyone blames each other. It's not helpful and we need to work together."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.